THE D1 highway connecting Bratislava and Košice could be finished by 2017, stated Ján Figeľ, the Minister of Transport, Construction and Regional Development during a presentation on the government’s plans for highway and dual carriageway construction between now and 2014, with the minister saying this deadline is realistic, the SITA newswire reported.
The Višňové tunnel near Žilina, regarded as the most difficult and expensive part of the D1 highway, must be completed and the minister said it could be built by 2016-2017 and that a tender for the tunnel construction is expected to be announced in autumn 2011.
Figeľ also reported that 130 kilometres of highways and dual carriageways would be opened in Slovakia in the upcoming four years.
“It is a considerable figure, a great challenge. I consider it realistic,” he stated, as quoted by SITA.
By the end of this year, 57.5km of highways and dual carriageways should be completed, with another 5.7km of highways and dual carriageways planned for 2012 and 21km planned for 2013. In 2014, 46.2km of highways and dual carriageways are supposed to open. The minister said the government plans to finance the new road infrastructure from multiple sources and estimated the sum required over the next four years would be about €5 billion.
